Can opener



1955 o. c. WILLIAMSON ET AL 2,698,992

CAN OPENER Filed March 8, 1954 8Y0 Rayn z z it k'ffiers 8y Oscar C. W/7liamsan Afy United States Patent CAN OPENER Oscar C. Williamson, Redwood City, and Raymond A. Withers, Belmont, Calif.

Application March 8, 1954, Serial No. 414,678

1 Claim. (Cl. 306.1)

This invention relates to improvements in can openers and has particular reference to any type of can opener which will puncture a hole in the can and also furnish a pouring lip.

A further object is to produce a can opener which is easy to produce, a can opener which is easy to use and one which will support the can during the opening operation.

A further object is to produce a can opener which is particularly useful for cans holding liquids such as fruit juices and the like.

A further object is to produce a can opener which is readily foldable so as to be readily transportable.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numbers are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a side elevation of our improved can opener;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation looking from the right of Pi 1;

ig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the pouring spout formed by the punching and crimping arrangement; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view, showing the pouring spout formed by the punching and crimping element.

The ordinary can opener merely punches a hole in a can and in so doing the contents of the can, when being poured, spill over the top edge and it is oftentimes difficult to control the flow of the fluid.

Also, unless the hole is made very close to the edge, the fluid issuing from the can will flow back over the top of the can.

Applicants have therefore devised a can opener which forms a pouring spout and at the same time holds the can in proper position whereby the cover may be punctured and crimped to form the spout.

Also, with this improved can opener, cans of various sizes will be properly supported on the can opener, which is quite essential, particularly in holding small cans.

. 2,698,992 Patented Jan. 11, 1955 In the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 5 designates a stand formed of U-shaped metal and having serrated portions 6 which serve to support the bottom portion of a can 7. Hinged to the support 5 is a base plate 8 pivoted as at 9 so as to assume the full-line position of the figures, or the dottedline position shown in Fig. 1.

This base plate 8 is normally held in the full-line position by a spring member 11 having a hooked end 12 (see Fig. 3). When it is desired to swing the base member to its dotted line position, the spring 11 is pushed toward the back of the stand 5 so as to release the hook portion.

Pivoted as at 13 is a handle 14 having a lip-forming punching element 16 and a piercing element 17.

The result of this construction is that when the device is in use, the can is placed so the handle 14 is raised and the can is placed so that its bottom engages parallel serrations 6 and 7, after which the handle is swung downwardly causing the punching element 16 to enter the top of the can and bend a portion downwardly as shown at 18, and to push a portion of the rim 19 thereof outwardly so as to form a pouring lip.

When it is desired to store the can opener, the handle portion can be moved downwardly so that it lies parallel with the standard, and the base can also be swung around so that it lies parallel with the standard, thus taking up the least possible room.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined c aim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

A can opener comprising a standard having a U-shaped configuration in cross section, a base plate pivoted to said standard, means for locking said base plate at right angles to said standard and comprising a hooked spring carried by said standard and engaging said base member, a handle pivoted to the opposite end of said standard from said base member, said handle having a forming die secured thereto at a point adjacent its pivotal connection to said standard whereby when said die engages a can mounted on said standard, a portion of said can will be punctured downwardly and a portion of said can will be moved outwardly against the parallel edges of said U-shaped standard to form a pouring spout, said handle having a punching element adapted to engage the top of the can at a point remote from the punched opening formed therein.

No references cited. 

